Hong kong's rich farewell tycoon fok
| A huge media contingent jostled for position outside the funeral home where hundreds of wreaths of predominantly white flowers -- the Chinese color of mourning -- were propped up on the pavement outside. |
| Nov .7 - Hong Kong's elite paid their final respects to late billionaire tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung on Tuesday at the closest thing to a state funeral for one of Hong Kong's wealthiest and most powerful men.
A huge media contingent jostled for position outside the funeral home where hundreds of wreaths of predominantly white flowers -- the Chinese color of mourning -- were propped up on the pavement outside. Public well-wishers looked on as a stream of chauffeur-driven luxury cars brought Hong Kong's business and political elite to the gold-columned steps of the funeral home. Among those arriving to pay their respects were former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, Macau gambling mogul and Fok's former business partner, Stanley Ho, as well as a large number of prominent businessmen and Hong Kong government and mainland officials. Inside, the mourners clad in black, some in tears, bowed before Fok's photograph on a stage wreathed with flowers, including offerings from Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao as well as other politburo members. The ceremony was as close to a state funeral as might be expected and organized by a 74-person committee, headed by Wang Zhongyu, a vice chairman of China's top advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). "His death is Hong Kong's great loss as well as China's," he said during the service. Well-wishers then circled his open casket, which was later draped in a Chinese flag and carried out of the hall by senior officials. Fok's remains will be interred at a Buddhist Cemetery on a hillside plot on Friday, chosen for its harmonious balance with nature, or good "feng shui" in accordance with Chinese geomancy traditions. Fok, a tycoon with gambling, port and property interests, died on October 28 in Beijing, after a long battle with cancer. He was 83. His coffin was flown to Hong Kong by chartered jet several days later in accordance with his wishes to be buried on home soil. As a vice-chairman of the CPPCC, Fok was a trusted confidant of several generations of Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping. There was no large public outpouring of grief, though a public memorial service on Monday drew about 2,000 well-wishers, many praising Fok's notable contributions to Hong Kong's economic development and charitable work. Whilst no senior state leaders attended the funeral, several mainland officials flew down from Beijing to pay tribute, including the director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Liao Hui, and Liu Yandong, head of the United Front Work Department. |